Dad is Curious About the Internet - by Barbara Baker

 

My dad turned 90 in August. Mom passed away four years ago, and Dad is adamant he can take care of himself. He got a new knee, cleats for his boots and canes with pokey prongs that flip up when the sidewalks are clear of snow. We tease him about getting more steps in a day than we do. 

One of Dad’s recent interests is understanding the basics of computers, technology and Google. When he loses a game of chess on his iPad, he says Siri is in a bad mood. When Siri wakes him up from a nap to tell him it’s going to get cold tomorrow, Dad thanks her for the update and scrolls the Weather App to see what’s blowing in.

A few years ago, when the Sunshine Ski Resort posted free WiFi Hot Spots at the top of the lifts, Dad asked what WiFi was all about.

I told him, “It’s so you can use your phone and log onto the internet for free.”

“Up here?” His moustache twitched. “Why would you want to do that?”

On a recent visit with Dad, I sit in the living room scrolling through Google for blog ideas while he stretches out on the couch to read.

After awhile Dad points at my laptop and says, “What are you doing?”

“I’m working on my blog for next month.”

He closes his book and sits up. “You’re working on what?”

“A blog.” I smile. “It’s a short piece of writing. Hopefully I can make it funny, or entertaining, maybe informative, or insightful.”

“What do you do with it when you're done?”

“I post in on a website which puts it on the internet for people to read.”

He tips his head. “Who reads it?”

“I’m not sure.” I shrug. “People who read blogs, people who might be interested in what I have to say.”

“Do you get paid to do it?”

“Indirectly. Maybe. Sort of." I give him a bigger smile. "I hope some readers will check out one of my books, maybe buy it or get it from the library.”

I stare down at my laptop to hide my grin and continue the search for popular blog topics – expert insights (nope), science posts (nope), upcoming trends (nope), DIY tips (nope)…personal (possibly).

Dad clears his throat, and I look up.

“Let me get this straight," he says. "You find something to write about, you put it on the internet for the world to see but you don’t know who will read it and you don’t know if it will make you any money?”

I nod.

“Well,” he pauses. “Do you enjoy doing it?”

“Yes, yes I do.”

“Well,” he picks up his book, stretches out on the couch again and lets out a sigh, “that’s good.”

        Happy holidays and all the best of wishes for 2023. 

        You can contact me at: bbaker.write@gmail.com

        Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

        What About Me?: Sequel to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books

 

 

I’m not a good blogger—Tricia McGill

Does anyone else out there have the same problem? I’m always in awe of the folk who find something interesting to say on their blog every day. I know, I’m a writer so therefore should be able to write about anything. But finding things to write about on my blog comes hard to me. Ask me to write a piece of fiction, a full length novel or short story, and I have no trouble whatsoever. 

I don’t lead a vastly exciting life, so perhaps that has something to do with it. But others probably lead just as uninteresting lives, yet can make the most mundane happening sound unusual. I have no children so unfortunately have no grandchildren to tell you about. I have my two dogs but people would soon tire of hearing me waffling on about their antics, as most folk who possess dogs have just as many funny stories or disasters of their own that to hear about what my two get up to would probably sound dull in comparison. The many funny animal videos on the net prove that. I have thousands of pictures of my pets, past and present and have a few of these on my Pinterest page.

I dislike cooking so have no delicious recipes to write about. My evening meal is usually decided on at about 5pm when I am ready to switch my computer off for the day and start to think about what I fancy for my dinner. Living alone has some advantages as well as disadvantages. I have to admit that one of the things that took me quite some time to get used to when I first married was finding something interesting to cook for my husband each day. I ended up not a bad cook but when your efforts are compared, as a young bride, to your mother in law’s cooking it can be disheartening. But don’t feel sorry for me, my husband was not a cruel man just one who had been spoilt. My steak and kidney pie was deemed, “Tasty, but the pastry could have been crumblier,” or similar. I didn’t bake a meat pie for quite a few years after my first humble tries. My hubby loved my Yorkshire pudding though which always turned out a success and sometimes rose so high that it was hard to get it out of the oven. I excelled at toad in the hole, which for those who are not English and have no idea what I am talking about, is sausages within the same batter as Yorkshire pudding.

One of my early short stories is called, ‘The Meat Ball’ and was inspired by a true event in our lives. My mother-in law made really tasty meat balls and showed me how it was done. She was one of these really slow and precise cooks who stood there every moment and watched over whatever she was preparing. Well, she gave me the recipe and directions which I followed to the letter. But, impatient as always, I must have tried to hasten the process, for when the finished product was put in front of my husband, as he tried to cut into one it was so hard that it bounced off his plate and onto the floor. We kept one of those meatballs as a souvenir and it even came to Australia with us and moved from place to place until we were able to buy our own home. It sat in a small bowl on a shelf for a few years and one day as I was dusting I noticed it was gone. I calculated it was probably about fifteen years old by then. We surmised that one of our dogs must have found it and as it was as hard as rock decided it was a bone that had to be buried. We never saw it again. As a footnote to this story, I did learn to make decent meat balls (rissoles? burgers?) in later years.

My problem was that our mother didn’t really want us messing about in the kitchen while she was preparing our meals. That probably had something to do with the fact that I was the youngest of ten and she was likely better off in the kitchen alone, as she served up meals to so many plates. One thing I did love, was to be allowed to have the first slice off the roast meat as she cut it (I was the spoiled baby). There were five of us daughters and three of the others turned out to be excellent cooks. I still don’t know how as they were not allowed in the kitchen often either. Our mother’s recipes were all in her head. She never used scales, but knew exactly how much of the ingredients to put into the bowl. She liked to make cupcakes, and if they turned out perhaps not as soft as they should then they became her special ‘rock cakes’. I am practically a vegetarian now. I say, practically, as I sometimes eat meat when I am dining out, but never buy red meat for myself.

I like to potter about in my small garden and love my plants, but I am no expert so chances of me writing about that are out of the question. I do volunteer work which takes up what spare time I do have, but could not possibly write about some of the disabled clients I help with their computers. I don’t seem to have a lot of time left in my day to read as I used to. I read before dropping off to sleep at night and often only get to about four pages before I nod off. I envy people who can speed read as I have never been able to read quickly. If I am enjoying a book and find the author’s style great then I stop to savor the words and often read a paragraph that has appealed to me over again which slows me down considerably. 

In the days before my passion became writing I painted for a while, but it was my sister who became a skilled artist, while I went on to write. That same sister also became very musical and could play her keyboard with expertise. I unfortunately can play no instrument at all and thought I could sing a little—but that was before I made a family video some years ago, and when I heard the playback of me singing along with my sister’s playing, vowed never to sing in company again. And sadly was also asked never to sing on tape again.

So, there you have it, my blog posts are few and far between for a very good reason. The only subject I have to write about is my books. And on that subject here is my latest release from Books We Love:

Buy here

Or you can go to my webpage which is a lot more interesting than my blog: 

Visit my Webpage

Or my BWL Author page

Romancing the Landscape: Setting as a Character in your Novel ~ By Connie Vines

CLICK TO PURCHASE FROM AMAZON

I have titled my topic “Romancing the Landscape”.  However, the landscape can also be a menacing character in a horror novel; comic relief, or as in the movie, The Never Ending Story, be the embodiment of living creatures.

So, how do I approach this project?  Why would this be of interest to me?

While every writer knows, it is useful to infuse landscape/setting as a tool to set the mood/foreshadow, and do so as a matter of course.

• The beach at sunset, a tranquil waterfall.  If you hero has fought a major battle, don’t send him to a night club.  Turn his setting into a place to recuperate.
• A setting can introduce conflict, or cause trouble.  A violent storm, gridlock, a jungle where he becomes lost. 
• The library, bookstore, writing on ancient walls, can provide a ‘mentorship’ of sorts.  The hero will discover, overcome his fears.
• A setting can show the ‘flaw’ of the hero.  A man fighting addiction is at a bar watching others, a selfish man is at a soup kitchen.  Place him in a setting to examine his own flaws.
•  A model of who he wants to be. A church, a free medical clinic, a loving home, are all settings that can provide an atmosphere that fosters qualities to which he aspires.

 Setting as a character is a deeper commitment.  Setting as a character will appear throughout the course of your novel.  Therefore (groan) it requires research, plotting attention, and action and reaction on the part of the hero and heroine.

Often I will set up a flow chart, spread sheet, or make notes on my software writing programs when developing my novel.  In this case I use a notebook to take notes/or snap pictures to Evernote that correspond to the numbers on my “Setting Worksheet”.  Why a work sheet—“that’s so old school”.  Yes, this is old school but studies have proved that there is something about the process of pen to paper that activates creativity in the brain.

So what’s on my worksheet? 

·         Title of project

·         Year

·         Month and day that the story begins

·         Season

·         Location

·         Why am I setting my story here?

·         Why are the hero and/or heroine here?

Climate/Landscape

·         Climate

·         Average rainfall/temp etc.

·         Approximately what months do the season change?

·         Topography

·         Plants and animals that live here

·         Local land forms and points of interest

·         Natural obstacles that will help/hinder your hero/heroine

·         How did your hero/heroine get here?  How will he/she leave?

Social Setting

·         Population

·         Types of dwellings

·         Types of stores or businesses

·         Ethnic make up of the community

·         Local industries/jobs

·         What holidays and special occasions are celebrated

·         What kinds of entertainment are available?

·         What current events might be important to your story?

Weaving into to the story

·         One line characterization of this setting

·         How is it the same as/different from similar settings?

·         What trait will make this setting come alive, and why?

·         How does the hero/heroine fell about being there?

·         Will the readers like/dislike this setting and why?

Examples taken from novels to illustrate my point:

Perhaps the glide of long railway travel was still with me, for more than anything else I felt motion in the landscape; in the fresh, easy-blowing morning wind, and in the earth itself, as if the shaggy grass were a sort of loose hid, and the underneath it herds of wild buffalo. ~ My Antonia, by Willa Cather. (Chapter 2).

I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and fills me with delight. Do you understand this feeling? This breeze, which has traveled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of these icy climes. ~ Letter 1, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.

Every novel is different.  Not every story calls for a setting to have a 'life of its own".  However, when the landscape demands a major role in your story line, listen.  The results are often soul-stirring and magical.

And from my own works:

It was only the cologne, Rachel reminded herself when Lynx leaned closer and pointed out the skill of the fiddle player--she always loved the scent of a good cologne. Warm, and Musky. Or, maybe it was his reputation that held such appeal--he was a rodeo cowboy. Bull riders flirted with death and danger every day, and that alone could be a real turn on for some women.

Still she knew none of those things was the real reason she was reacting this way. ~ Lynx, Rodeo Romance, by Connie Vines

She pulled the red gingham curtain aside from the kitchen window and stared out into the rain for the tenth tine in less than an hour.  In the distance, she could see Brede going about his chores. . .There was something about him, which spoke of power, especially in the way he moved.  But there was also wildness in him and profound loneliness. Perhaps the loneliness dept her from being afraid. . .~ Brede, Rodeo Romance Book 2, by Connie Vines

Twelve-thousand gleeful ghouls stormed Long Beach's Promenade. the crowd became so large that it spilled out over Pine Avenue for an all-out downtown invasion.  Meredith didn't recall much about the accident, nor who or what, reanimated her. She remembered over-hearing a security officer informing a pungent-smelling zombie. . . ~ Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow Book 1 Sassy & Fun Fantasy Series by Connie Vines

Photographs give me a reference point for ensuring I "know" the depth of my setting.

What do you think?  Can you name a novel where the setting took on a life of its own?

Thank you for stopping by this month to read my blog post. I hope to see you again next month.

1800's England

Nebraska Farmland

Happy Reading,

Connie Vines

5 Reasons Writers Should Blog By Connie Vines

In the past, my marketing was often 'guest appearances' as a speaker or workshop facilitator, a participant in a interview panel which included book signings.

Not having reached the stellar stardom of Steven King or others topping the NYT Best Sellers Lists, my 'guest appearances' were memorable (though, not always for the the right reasons).  Book signings in chain and small book stores, and booths--in my case the boots were at Powwows and Rodeos were the norm.

This brand of  market included lots of toting and driving!  Fortunately, I was able to dress in trade cloth dresses and high-top beaded moccasins or western wear and riding boots. Often my Regency writing friends fussed with flounce, bustles, and complicated footwear to help promo their genre fiction.  

However, this type of marketing was hit-and-miss and cut deeply into my writing and family time.  Since I also freelanced, writing for magazines,  ghosting literary fiction, and working, part-time, as an acquisitions editor for an independent Christian publisher, I wasn't even toying with the idea of  financing my personal city-by-city book tour.

Even though I still act as a contest judge in numerous national and international writing contests, belong to professional writing associations, and am acting President of a Special Interest (GothRom) Chapter of Romance Writers of America, I believe social media and the Internet are wonderful ways to promote both print and eBooks.

I tweet, I keep a personal and author Facebook page, Google+ and an author website (which I revamp yearly).  I also actively blog and guest blog--now.

• Blogging keeps me motivated and aware of what is going on in the writing world.  view it as Professional Development.  It is where I put into practice all information I mentally uploaded from online classes I've attended, or articles I've read.

• Accountability for my writing time.  Like most writers today, I have a day job.  Blogging helps me keep my writing time sacred.  There are days I don't have time to write, but knowing I am breaking one of my personal 'rules' keeps me a accountable.

• M-A-R-K-E-T-I-N-G.  I still think book signings are great fun.  I always, always enjoy speaking to children and YA readers at library and book store functions.  I just don't wish to spend every single weekend out on the road promoting my novels.

• And, as all writers know, the only way to sharpen prose is to write.  Often.  Being forced to write articles and/or blog on a regular basis has helped me to improve my prose in often small, yet meaningful ways.

• Networking and Connections.  Blogging on my personal site, "Word Slinger" and guest blogging on other sites, including here at BWL author site, helps me make new friends, interact with my readers, and to learn and grow--as a writer and person.

Readers, what do you think?  Do you think writers should be blogging?  What other forms of promotion are appealing to you?

Thank you for stopping by today.

Happy Reading!

Connie